Chapter 5. Noah, Tiny’s father?

Chapter 5. Noah, Tiny’s father?

Noah's eyes widened in surprise and he looked at her confused. He was speechless. How could she call him father? He has no children at all. She must have confused him with someone else, there was no other explanation. Or is that really the case? Noah no longer knew what to think. His mind was racing, or he was thinking about nothing. he does not know. He didn't know anything, he just looked at the girl in front of him. Finally, he swallowed hard and repeated, still very surprised, "Father?"

The wind roared strongly, pushing thick black clouds, from which brief but intense rain fell from time to time. The smoky clouds were so dense and the weather was unusually dark. The light of this day seems to stay forever in the dawn light. There are lights everywhere, but in the rain these lights quickly disappear. Otis thought it was the perfect weather for the day. He stood near the ship that would take him to his new duty station. The Sindy Council is located on a neutral planet, and it would take him five days just to fly there.

Otis has spent the past two weeks trying to clear up uncertainty about his tenure. Yet no matter who he turned to, he found only closed doors and evasive half-truths. Everyone avoided him and refused to explain to him. This heightened his anger. He was angry at the leader of Parliament, Stewart, for being fooled, and probably secretly laughing at his stupidity. Angry at the conspirators who helped the president. What angered him the most was himself, because he once arrogantly believed that he could unite the Sindi tribe and bring them into a new and better era. He even thought that everyone would be grateful to him and support him for this. But now, he was betrayed by his own countrymen. Even here, there is no unity. Everyone is playing their own game and pursuing their own interests. Whenever there's an opportunity to get away from their competitors, they take advantage of it ruthlessly. It was this opportunity that Otis prepared, and they gratefully accepted the gift.

He will temporarily serve as the parliamentary representative of the humanoid race. But the matter has not yet been finalized. He would continue sending messages to his hometown until he won and shortened his term to two years. Because he still insists on his goal to unify Cindy. Although in the past few days, he had doubted the meaning and possibility of success and questioned his own behavior, these doubts have now disappeared. Such a setback would not cause him to change course. He will continue to do his best to achieve his goals. Even if he didn't succeed, he at least tried.

He cast one last glance toward the dark, cloudy sky, then boarded the ship. The ship is not particularly beautiful, as the interior is simply decorated. Made mostly of gray steel. The interior is only covered with a thin layer of protective board to prevent anyone from being injured by touching the steel edge. This spaceship is a simple vehicle, mainly used for cargo transportation. No one would waste unnecessary resources on such a ship. It has its purpose and no more is needed. And the accommodation provided to the passenger is quite good, so he can spend the time of his journey well.

During these five days, he finally had time to prepare for the work he was about to start. In the past few days, he had been busy trying to contact his superiors. Now he has to catch up on everything in a short amount of time.

When Otis arrives at his destination, his future assistant will be waiting there. This assistant has been an employee of various parliamentary representatives for many years and is very familiar with the situation on the ground. He knew everything from the practical matters of daily life to the complexities of parliamentary politics. He has sent Otis extensive information about representatives of the other four races and their attitudes. Includes the routes each race has taken in past decisions. Most of it was familiar to Otis, having been studying the subject his entire career. But he often had no idea how those decisions were made. This information now appears in the file. So, for the next five days, he read them voraciously, engrossed in them.

When he arrived he felt well prepared and really capable of making some changes here.

At the airport, his assistant came to pick him up. Although he has been working here for a long time, he is still relatively young and shy. He hardly dared to initiate a conversation with Otis. On the way to the humanoid embassy, ​​he did not take the initiative to start a conversation and only briefly answered Otis's questions.

Eventually, Otis gave up trying to talk to his assistant, too. Instead, he looked out through the craft's window. It's an ugly planet. Hot, dry and dusty. The sky is always a tinge of red, turning blood red at sunrise and sunset. The color made him angry. The thought of seeing this sky every day for the next few years almost made him despair. He prefers blue skies. But now, he has no choice but to live with it.

The planet's atmosphere depressed his mood, and his optimism faded. Over the next few months, his fears were confirmed, as the decision-making game with the other four Sindi races proved to be much more difficult than he had anticipated. In the first few months he was unable to move forward with as many plans and he felt they were only against him because he was new to Parliament. This frustrated him. His belief in creating a better future for Cindy was once in jeopardy, but he always picked himself up and kept fighting. In all these months he failed to contact his superiors in his hometown to discuss his future in parliament. As time went on, he became more and more worried that if a miracle didn't happen, he would have to spend a full five years here.

Sitting in the waiting room, Noah's thoughts swirled violently. He put his elbows on the table and folded his hands behind his head, staring at the black tabletop, hoping to clear his thoughts. But he couldn't concentrate at all. The young woman's explosive recognition in the teleportation room was completely beyond his expectation. He never thought this would happen. This usually only happens in bad novels or some sensational soap operas. And now, all this has happened to him. He felt like it was a prank, like someone was playing a trick on him. However, he saw firm seriousness in the girl's eyes. There is also a deep hatred that instantly obliterates any thought of mischief. No, this is not a dream or hallucination. This is reality, this girl believes he is her father. What a ridiculous and unbelievable idea, he wondered how she could have thought of it and done it. Sure, he had had some relationships in his life, but he never remembered having children. But why would someone pretend to be his daughter?

After she claimed that she was his daughter, she continued to gush over him. She insulted him and accused him of all kinds of things. But to him, none of this matters anymore. He couldn't remember what she said because he was in deep shock about becoming the father of an adult child. He was eventually rescued by Gabriel Kahlo, who stopped the young woman and ordered two security officers to take her away. The two security officers had to restrain the Indian woman as she resisted in a fit of rage.

Half an hour had passed since then, and he had been sitting here since then, unable to make any decisions. It was as if he had been struck deep within himself and now had lost control of himself. As if drugged, he followed Carol to her waiting room. Carol was worried about him and called his old friends Daisy and Dr. Celia. Carol herself is not an emotional person and she does not show sympathy to others. She could understand the captain's situation, and perhaps feel a little bit of his emotional confusion at the moment, but this was only what she could understand from her limited experience. But she could never show it. She's called an iceberg, and for good reason. She felt uncomfortable in this emotion at the moment. She couldn't handle the emotion. Therefore, she did not speak much. And Daisy stood right next to Noah, letting him feel her support. Celia also came to the table. But both remained silent. What else could they say?

"I have allocated a place for the young lady," Carol finally spoke, just to say something. And, to reassure Noah that she was not being held in a holding cell. "In addition, two security officers are waiting outside the door. She will not leave the residence until you give her permission."

Noah slowly raised his head and nodded absently. "Thank you." It was just a soft murmur, sounding like it was said out of habit without much thought.

Carol cleared her throat, as if looking for an excuse to leave the room. "I'm going to prepare the materials we need to get to Starbase 478," she said, waiting for the captain's brief confirmation before heading to the bridge.

The familiar procedures and the familiar sounds of doors opening and closing seemed to bring the captain back to reality. So he straightened up and looked directly at the doctor. "Doctor, is there a reliable way to determine her identity?" the captain asked, his voice sounding like he had no choice but to say "yes."

"Yes, there is," Celia replied, to his relief. "Through DNA comparison, I can determine whether she is related to you, and if so, the type of relationship. I just need a little bit of genetic code. She needs to go to the infirmary, and I can be sure."

"Then do it." His voice regained its stability. He knew that he couldn't let himself become dejected. He's the captain, and he's been through far worse situations than this. There's no use just sitting here thinking about it. He must take action, and the first step is to figure out the identity of this stranger.

"I will get started immediately." Celia turned around and quickly left the room. She doesn't waste time. There was nothing to do in the infirmary at this time. Additionally, Celia was naturally curious. This curiosity drives her. She desperately wanted to know who this woman was and what was going on here. She will never give up until she finds the answer.

Daisy stayed with the captain. She waited for Celia to leave the room before looking again at Noah, her mentor and friend. Although he had calmed down a bit and was more confident than he had been a few minutes ago, it was still quite a shock to him. Daisy had been with him for a long time and she knew that.

"Could this woman be your daughter?" she asked pointedly. She had known Noah for nearly two decades, but she wasn't sure if he had been in a relationship during that time. In fact, almost every captain is married to their ship. The profession of captain requires too much time, and all captains have almost no time left for love. Choosing a career in Starfleet often meant giving up the opportunity for a family. Daisy estimated that the strange woman was about twenty years old, so the girl might have been born before Daisy met Noah. But according to his own story, the captain was never a lover.

Noah looked at her. It was obvious that he was already struggling with this. His forehead wrinkled, he placed his hands on the table and sighed. "I don't know. I don't know her age either. It's hard to say. It's certainly not impossible." He frowned. "That may sound weird. Like I was actually in a relationship at the time."

Daisy smiled and said, "That's exactly what it sounds like. But luckily I know you better, and you've told me about the time before we first met." She looked at him thoughtfully. She searched through the memories of twenty years ago. "We first met on the 'Sail' mission. You were promoted to Commander just days before the mission began."

Noah nodded. "That's right."

"That's about the time the girl was born," Daisy continued. She thought for a moment longer, then looked at Noah with wide eyes. "Olive. You once told me about a person named Olive."

"Yes, that's right." Noah nodded.

The name brought back painful memories and he had to look away for a moment. How could he forget this name. How could he forget this woman. Although they didn't last long together and he regretted it, it was the best time of his life. The only thing that troubled him was the tangled choice at that time, which would forever affect his and her lives. He had to choose between her and a career in Starfleet. At that time, he had been promoted to lieutenant, and his promotion to commander was basically confirmed. As a lieutenant, he certainly still had time to start a family. But as a commander, he would not have enough time to take care of his family. At least not as much as he expected. In the end, fate made the decision for him. But it made him uncomfortable because he didn't make the choice himself.

"Yes, that may indeed have been the case at that time," he said slowly, looking blankly into the distance. His mind was still stuck on that time. "Twenty years ago, to be exact. It's possible." He seemed to need to convince himself. But there is no other way.

Daisy let out a short, powerful breath. Sure enough. "So she's really your daughter?" She said it more like a statement than a question.

Noah returned to reality. "It's possible," he said hesitantly. "Olive, however, was never pregnant. I can't explain that."

"I can explain it to you about the baby," she tilted her head and smiled, but immediately doubted whether this was appropriate.

But a smile flashed across Noah's face. "Thank you, but I already understand this." His smile gradually disappeared. "Given the timing, it might be possible. But none of it makes sense. There must have been a misunderstanding here."

Daisy looked at him with narrowed eyes. "If you say that, then..., but what if she is really your daughter?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Noah replied slowly. He looked at her, not knowing how to explain his thoughts to her. Can she understand? After all, a mother always knows if the child is hers. And for men, there are always some doubts. In this case... "I will blame myself for not fulfilling my responsibilities as a father. Because I have never been with her. I can't understand what it feels like to be without my father. But I think it must be terrible." He gently Shaked his head. "I'll never make amends. And I won't be a good father."

"Who said that?" Daisy retorted angrily. She couldn't believe it. He had always been a father-like presence to her. Well, more like a friend, but also a little bit like a father. And he would be a good father, she had no doubt about it.

"I said so." He seemed to really believe it.

"Okay then." She made an understatement gesture, as if his own evaluation had no value at all. "No one is perfect. No one is born a good father. Everyone needs to grow."

"Of course, I know that too," he replied more unhappy than he intended. "But most fathers go through the birth and growth of their child. They still have nine months to adjust. You can see it all coming. But now a young lady comes and tells me I'm her father. If It's true, she's bound to pour out her completely deserved hatred on me. I've never been there for her. How can I be a good father in this situation? I don't even know anything about this People. I don’t even know her name yet.”

Daisy remained silent. Of course, as a bystander, she could see further than Noah could now. She could see things that he couldn't at the moment. Even if these things were obvious, as his best friend, she had to remind him, even though he might not feel like it at the moment.

"Then you have to get to know her better," she suggested. This may sound mundane, but for him it was really the only way.

"Of course, I have to." Noah took a few frustrated breaths, sounding obvious that he needed to calm down or he would never get his head straight. He didn't know whether he was more angry that this woman had forced him into this situation, or that he was getting emotional because of it. Hell, he wasn't some headless teenager. He has a wealth of life experience, spending most of his time out in the universe, dealing with subordinates who are sometimes child-like. He always manages it and finds a solution. He won't encounter any problems because of this. Or will it? "But when you put it that way, it seems too simple," he said at last. "I had to immediately deal with an adult daughter who clearly harbored a hatred for me that had probably lasted her entire life. How was I going to deal with that? Do I have a chance?"

Daisy looked at him, but didn't know how to answer his question. In the end, time will tell how it all plays out. She gently placed her hands on his shoulders. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help to you either. I've never been in a situation like this. But I'll give you a piece of advice, Noah, don't try to play the perfect dad. Just be yourself and other things It will follow.”

Noah took a deep breath. Daisy's hand on his shoulder made him feel good and showed that she supported him. It's a good and important feeling. If this woman is really his daughter, then he must accept this fact. There is no choice.

Carefully, Celia stepped into the sensor range of Noah's so-called daughter's room. She was curious about this woman, after all she had only heard of her before. She did not see her boarding the ship. But the more she heard, the more curious she became. She is described as an extraordinary beauty. The two security officers who brought her to the residence apparently spread the word immediately, so rumors started flying. With every rumor, her beauty seems to be increasing. The same goes for her behavior in the teleportation room. Therefore, she must be an angelic devil. It would be great fun, Celia was sure of it.

"Who's there?" She heard a cold voice coming from the room. But at least she responded.

"I'm Muse Celia, the ship's doctor. I need to run some medical tests on you," the doctor explained, hoping to sound less intimidating. No one likes to have an inspection, especially not in this situation.

There was a slight scraping sound on the door, and the young woman stood in front of Celia. Her bronze complexion formed a perfect image with her dark hair and almond-colored eyes, and her reddish-brown lips and long nose completed the perfect ensemble. Her figure seems to have come from a male sculptor's fantasy of a well-proportioned woman. Coupled with the perfect skin and tight tissue of a twenty-year-old, she becomes a flawless being.

Celia discovered, with some jealousy, that the rumor was entirely correct. This woman is absolutely the epitome of beauty. If she wanted to, as a model she could surely conquer the bar tables of every proverbial planet and probably the hearts of every man. It's just that her current gloomy expression doesn't fit this image at all.

She stood in front of the door frame, so close to the doctor that he involuntarily took a small step back to restore the normal distance between the two people. In addition, her angry eyes make people afraid to get too close.

"Your captain doesn't believe I'm his daughter," she said in a cold, piercing voice that sent a chill down Celia's back. There was so much hatred and anger in the voice that the Doctor had never heard it. This hatred must have been built up over the years. This in itself is surprising considering her age.

Celia looked at the young woman, wondering how she could possess such intense rage, wondering what else was going on, of which she knew nothing. Such hatred could not arise just because of her father. This is unimaginable for doctors. It is almost certain that this young woman experienced constant hostility from others throughout her life. It seemed like her father was just the tip of the iceberg. It was as if she had spent her entire life fighting against the worst resistance and prejudice. But, given her beauty, how is that possible? Shouldn't such beauty be sought after by most people? Everyone in the world will care deeply about such a person, even if it is just to get her glory and benefit from it. At least in the case of models, it's something Celia had always heard before.

"Yes, I will confirm it through DNA analysis." The doctor answered her question, "It's not surprising that the captain wants a definite answer."

She snorted disdainfully. "Yes, I had expected that he would not remember that he had a child. Or better said, that he would not like to recall. But it doesn't matter to me. Then he will see the facts in black and white. He No more excuses.”

Celia just nodded. The hostility shocked her. How could someone hate their biological parents so much? Especially when she doesn't even know them. But maybe this woman already knew Noah and had enough reason to feel this hatred for him. Who but the captain knows what happened then. Maybe the accusations she made were true. While Celia couldn't imagine Noah doing this, no one can fully understand another person. Many people have been cheated on by a partner or friend for decades. But even if she's right, she doesn't seem to consider that her hatred deprives the other person of a chance to prove themselves. She exerts strong pressure on the other party. She had pointed the finger at the captain, denying him the chance to have a normal conversation with her. is this correct? He may indeed have changed over the years. She will never know. After all, although he is called her father, there should be some meaning to it.

The young woman silently left her residence and followed Celia to the next elevator. The doctor wanted to talk to her and try to get closer to each other. However, the cold atmosphere around the young woman made Celia choose to remain silent. What would she talk to this woman about without mentioning Noah? But suddenly it occurred to Celia that she didn't even know her name. And asking for names should be pretty harmless. So Celia asked her for the name.

"I'm sorry, I don't know your name yet," Celia said, trying to speak in a kind tone while keeping her distance so as not to anger the other person.

"Tini," she replied shortly.

Celia hesitated for a moment, then said, "A pretty name. Isn't it?"

"Yes." Tiny was obviously not interested in the conversation. But she didn't stop Celia.

"Do you have a last name?" Celia continued.

Tiny took a deep breath, showing her reluctance. But she responded anyway, "Legally, I have a last name. But because it's related to my mother, I don't use it. So just Tiny."

The doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise and frowned. The young woman not only had problems with her father, but also with her mother. Clearly, the problem is much deeper than it appears. Maybe it's time to get a psychiatrist involved, maybe the problem is just inside Tiny's mind. However, she hadn't made it this far yet because they had only known her for a few minutes.

"So like your father," she said at last, reminding Tiny that Noah also had only one name. Maybe that commonality will help, no matter how small it is.

The young Indian woman just looked at her coldly, as if every word made her impatient.

"If I asked you your age, would you tell me your age?" Celia's question was designed to keep the conversation going. Of course, she could get answers through a DNA test, but during the conversation she hoped to get more information. After all, there is a need to better explain medical facts. Of course, she also hoped to satisfy her personal curiosity, although she would never admit it.

Tiny sensed that the doctor would have the answer no matter what. And it was no secret, so she decided to answer. "I'm nineteen."

Celia nodded. She had originally thought that the young woman might be two or three years older than her actual age, but it was generally in line with her guess. "A good age," she whispered, more to herself.

"What do you mean?" Tiny asked. She still maintained a critical expression, as if she thought every word was meant to hurt her.

"Well, you are still young, the road of life is still ahead, and you still have a lot of freedom to decide the direction of the future. You have more rights than obligations," Celia explained, her tone of voice seemed to be eager to return. By those years, even though she herself was only in her thirties.

Tiny snorted disdainfully but remained silent. She disagreed with the doctor, but wasn't going to say anything more. Celia wanted to continue asking, but the elevator opened in front of them, interrupting the conversation. They entered the elevator and entered their destination.

Tiny leaned against the wall of the elevator, her eyes seeming to have traveled through time. Memories overwhelmed her. This encounter with her father troubled her more than she cared to admit. It evoked old events she had thought she had dismissed.

"Maybe at this age, usually all roads are open to you, but not for me," she said suddenly, and Celia wasn't sure if the young woman was actually talking to her or just talking to herself. Talk to yourself.

The short ride in the elevator ended, and her thoughts aloud were interrupted by the opening of the door. Celia feels a little regretful, maybe this is an opportunity to understand Tiny's true motivations and the reason for her endless anger. But now it was obvious that this opportunity had been missed, because on the way to the infirmary, Tiny never spoke again. It's like she suddenly realizes that she's said more than she meant to. Therefore, Celia must continue the conversation. Her curiosity was too great and she couldn't just let it go.

"That means you don't know your mother either?" She could hardly imagine it. I don’t even want to imagine it. It must be very scary for a person not to know both parents.

Tiny's expression clearly showed that she was struggling internally. She's just starting to open up a little more, but her years of experience have made it almost impossible. The walls she had built on her soul were so strong and thick that they were almost impossible to dismantle. "I know her, but it's not worth saying more," she finally answered briefly.

Celia bit her lip and nodded. Despite her prickliness and bad temper, she somehow liked the young woman. She felt sorry for her. She wanted to help her so much, but she didn't know Tini well enough to make that kind of promise. In her view, Tiny must first reconcile with herself, and then with her parents.

They arrived at the infirmary and Celia asked Tiny to go first. She asked Tiny to sit on a bed and pulled out a medical instrument. "Now I'm going to use this swab to collect a sample of your saliva. It won't hurt and it will only take a moment."

Tiny just nodded and let the process proceed indifferently. Her mind was on something else entirely at the moment.

Commander Gabriel Caro stood in front of the captain's watch room. The purpose of her coming here made her feel a little uncomfortable, but she must not show it. So, as usual, she hid her emotions behind an impenetrable exterior. This way she comes across as completely calm and confident. She has impressed many of the people she talks to in this way and is sometimes praised for her firm attitude.

"What can you do for me, Commander?" Noah raised his head. Deep dark circles appeared under his eyes, which contrasted sharply with his unusually pale skin. He doesn't sleep much. The matter of his daughter troubled him even more.

Carol mentally warned herself to stay calm. She certainly didn't have to be afraid of Noah, she knew that. After all, they've been working together for a few years. So she simply started. "Captain, I was thinking about how our mission should continue. In fact, we were supposed to set off yesterday. But since your daughter was here, we delayed our departure. But we have our orders. We don't know what's next yet. How to do it," she spelled out the situation.

The captain nodded, frowning. Carol was right of course, if she meant orders.

They certainly can't leave the starbase now, but will they take this young woman away? This was certainly not their intention when she came aboard. Moreover, she is not a crew member, and she will not have the opportunity to leave the spacecraft in the next period of time.

"Noah, I know this is not an easy decision," Carol said gently, as if trying to persuade him. "But we must..."

He raised his hand, interrupting her. Then he nodded. "Set a course for Kuafu IV. We will depart immediately."

"What about this young lady?" Carol asked in surprise. The captain had not mentioned her just now.

"She decided to come aboard. She has to face the consequences now. We can't think anything of her or me." He sighed slowly. "I don't want her to leave the ship, because that will intensify her rejection of me. But I can't go with her either. So she has to follow us. Maybe I can try to impress her without her having a chance to escape." He Looked askance at Carol.

Carol frowned incredulously. "I hope things turn out well for you." She didn't know what to say. Carol had no children of her own. Although she is a girl's aunt, she is not her child after all. Carol's sister and her husband formed a typical parental couple, and the little girl grew up in a happy family. And her niece Mona is only four years old. At that age, the world is a good place most of the time.

"Maybe in the end we'll understand each other, or she might accuse me of trying to kidnap her," Noah tried to joke. But there was no humor in his voice. As Carol was about to leave, he thought of one more thing. "One more question, Commander. Since I will be focusing more on this personal matter for some time to come, I would like you to take charge of arranging the conduct of the mission. I am afraid that my mind is not clear at the moment."

Carol nodded in understanding. "Of course. I'll take the time." It wasn't too inconvenient for her. She didn't have much to do on this mission, other than coordinate and oversee training measures. This way, she won't feel like she's redundant and has other tasks.

"Thank you." Noah nodded his thanks.

Carol waved gently with her hand. "I'll set our course," she said. She then left the room and prepared to return to the command module. She just had to go up one floor. A few seconds later, she was standing in front of the command chair, the seat she was accustomed to when she was a conductor. This is a fairly common practice in the fleet. The person in charge can sit here. "Mr. Hogan, set course to Kuafu IV. Speed ​​Wa

p7. "

"Yes, ma'am," the reptilian creature grunted, tapping the fingertips of its horned talons against the console's touchscreen and typing in commands. Not for the first time, Carol was surprised by the sensitivity of its operation. From this huge creature, I never expected it to be so delicate. There isn't even a scratch on this console.

As she sat down and looked around, she saw on everyone's faces relief at the start. While no one was excited about the mission, it was better than being left hanging in the unknown with nothing to do.

Ingmar notified the space station of their group's departure, and the formal farewells were quickly completed, with the Republic taking off from the space station a few minutes later.

In the hyperspace teleportation, speeding towards the destination Kuafu IV.